Gemini Observatory: Exploring the Universe, Sharing its Wonders

January 18, 2002

From high atop remote mountains in Chile and Hawaii, the Gemini
Observatory gives astronomers access to the entire universe with twin
state-of-the-art 8-meter telescopes. Today, Gemini South, the second
of the Gemini telescopes to look skyward, was dedicated on its perch
on Cerro Pachón in the Chilean Andes.

The Gemini telescopes are located on both sides of the equator to
provide complete sky coverage for astronomers within the seven-country
Gemini partnership. The partnership includes the United States,
United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and Chile, with
each partner receiving research time in proportion to its level of
funding for Gemini.

Today's dedication of the Gemini South telescope brought together over
200 representatives from the Gemini partnership who journeyed up the
steep, dusty, dirt road for the ceremony. Included in the ceremony
were Chile's President Sr. Ricardo Lagos and speakers from each of the
funding agencies that fund the observatory.

Astronomers
from around the world have already sampled Gemini's capabilities
with discoveries from Gemini North on Mauna Kea. These include
surprising conditions surrounding a supermassive black hole at the
core of an active galaxy and the gas and dust encircling stars where
early planetary systems might be forming. "With Gemini's fantastic
resolution and light gathering power, we are now able to study dusty
protoplanetary disks in remarkable detail, to trace the first steps of
planetary birth. Our observations at Gemini utilized a technology
called adaptive optics that removes distortions caused by turbulence
in our atmosphere," reported Dr. Ray Jayawardhana of the University of
California, Berkeley at the 199th American Astronomical Society
Conference in Washington DC in early January, 2002.

Other early observations from Gemini have revealed the center of our
Milky Way galaxy in unprecedented detail, unexpected conditions at the
core of a distant active galaxy, the closest brown dwarf (or failed
star) ever imaged around a sun-like star, and a spectacular image
dubbed "the perfect spiral galaxy". More about these findings and
others can be found at the "Press Release" page.

Dramatic early science images from Gemini South, as well as images of
the observatory facility and dedication ceremony, are available at the Gemini South Dedication page.
Watch this web site for the latest findings from Gemini and additional
media resources from Gemini.

The Gemini Observatory is an international collaboration that has
built two identical 8-meter telescopes. The telescopes are located at
Mauna Kea, Hawaii (Gemini North) and Cerro Pachón in central Chile
(Gemini South), and hence provide full coverage of both hemispheres of
the sky. Both telescopes incorporate new technologies that allow
large, relatively thin mirrors under active control to collect and
focus both optical and infrared radiation from space. Both Gemini
North and Gemini South have begun science operations.

The Gemini Observatory provides the astronomical communities in each
partner country with state-of-the-art astronomical facilities that
allocates observing time in proportion to each country's
contribution. In addition to financial support, each country also
contributes significant scientific and technical resources. The
national research agencies that form the Gemini partnership include:
the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the UK Particle Physics and
Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), the Canadian National Research
Council (NRC), the Chilean Comisión Nacional de Investigación
Cientifica y Tecnológica (CONICYT), the Australian Research
Council (ARC), the Argentinean Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones
Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and the Brazilian Conselho
Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). The
Observatory is managed by the Association of Universities for Research
in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with the NSF.
The NSF also serves as the executive agency for the international
partnership.

The Gemini Observatory is an international collaboration with two identical 8-meter telescopes. The Frederick C. Gillett Gemini Telescope is located on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i (Gemini North) and the other telescope on Cerro Pachón in central Chile (Gemini South); together the twin telescopes provide full coverage over both hemispheres of the sky. The telescopes incorporate technologies that allow large, relatively thin mirrors, under active control, to collect and focus both visible and infrared radiation from space.

The Gemini Observatory provides the astronomical communities in six partner countries with state-of-the-art astronomical facilities that allocate observing time in proportion to each country's contribution. In addition to financial support, each country also contributes significant scientific and technical resources. The national research agencies that form the Gemini partnership include: the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the Canadian National Research Council (NRC), the Chilean Comisión Nacional de Investigación Cientifica y Tecnológica (CONICYT), the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Argentinean Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva, and the Brazilian Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação. The observatory is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with the NSF. The NSF also serves as the executive agency for the international partnership.